Included in this month’s Starlin Castro trade as the player to be named later, Ryan never actually played for the Cubs and was only a member of their 40-man roster for a few days before the team claimed left-handed pitcher Edgar Olmos. That means the Cubs are on the hook for Ryan’s $1-million contract.

The fact he was released almost immediately after the trade was finalized suggests he was included primarily as a financial offset.

Because he’s a proven defender who can play multiple positions, there could be a market for Ryan somewhere. He played so rarely with the Yankees, that I can’t imagine he would want to re-join them on a minor league deal, and the Yankees don’t have a great need for him now that they’ve signed Pete Kozma, who can play a similar role.